Aircraft such as commercial airliners typically include control surfaces or devices mounted on the wings to improve the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft. Such control surfaces include wing leading edge devices and trailing edge devices which may be extended during different phases of flight to alter the lift characteristics of the wings. For example, commercial airliners typically include leading edge slats which may be extended during takeoff, approach, landing, and/or during other flight phases to increase the area and camber of the wings to increase the wing lift characteristics.
Aircraft governing bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administer noise certification regulations which set limits on the amount of noise that an aircraft may produce during takeoff and landing. For noise certification, the FAA requires the measurement of takeoff noise and landing noise to verify that such noise is below defined limits. Landing noise includes noise generated during approach and may be measured from a measurement location on the ground underneath the aircraft glide slope as the aircraft approaches the runway threshold.
A significant portion of the approach noise generated by an aircraft is the result of air flowing over and around airframe components such as the extended landing gear and the wing leading edge and trailing edge devices. For example, air flowing around the edges of extended slats and flaps contributes to the approach noise generated by an aircraft. Engine noise also contributes to the approach noise of an aircraft. However, the noise contribution from the engines during approach is generally less than the noise contribution during takeoff due to the relatively low power settings of the engines during approach.
There may be a need in the art for a system and method for controlling wing leading edge devices in a manner that may reduce or minimize noise on approach and may generally improve the performance of an aircraft.